Monthly Archives: December 2019
O come, all ye faithful
I don’t know what your favourite Christmas Carol is, but a popular one is the first one we sung this morning, ‘O come, all ye faithful’. It is a staple of Christmas services. It has a stunning descant loved by … Continue reading
Love-song of the Angels
There was a phrase in the second carol we sang at the beginning of this service, ‘It came upon the midnight clear’. It came in the second verse and referred to the ‘love-song’ sung by the angels. They bring this … Continue reading
Advent 4: Jesus’ ‘Who do you think you are?’
Each of the Gospels approaches the story they want to tell about Jesus from a different place. For John, the Gospel for Midnight Mass, it is the deeply philosophical with the eternal Word and light shining in darkness. Mark plunges … Continue reading
Advent 3: Good news for the poor
What do you hear when that Gospel is read (Matthew 11:2-11)? Which words stand out most? Is it Jesus giving an account of what he has been doing? Is it John the Baptist, languishing in prison and pondering if he’s … Continue reading
Advent Wake-up: Duty of Care for the Earth
On Friday we remembered St Nicholas, the original Santa, usually noted for being nice to children and rescuing girls from exploitation. All very contemporary concerns. Far from the flying reindeer and benign smiling, he has a passion in his story … Continue reading
Generous Advent
This is becoming an annual game, but this year’s crop of outlandish Advent Calendars is no less extravagant than last year’s. Top of the list at £104,000 is the Tiffany Jewellery Calendar, with a different piece of bling for each … Continue reading
